Stenciling apparatus



Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STENUILIN G APPARATUS of Ohio Application May 6, 1938, Serial No. 206,389

Claims.

in apparatus for stenciling the surfaces of various articles, particularly articles having curved surfaces such as bottles, jars and the like. More ;;5 specifically the-invention relates to that type 01' stenciling apparatus wherein the articles undergoing decoration are supported horizontally on a rotatable chuck by the application of vacuum to the chuck and wherein a vitreous .lo enamel composition is forced through the inter- .stices of a stencil screen which makes tangential rolling line contact with the articles on the chuck by the spreading action of a squeegee,

In the operation of this type of apparatus it .15 occasionally happens that after the operator has placed a bottle or other article on the chuck and has commenced the decorating operation, the

bottle falls from the chuck, either because it has J been improperly positioned thereon or because the bottle is defective. Since the bottle forms a support for the squeegee through the moving stencil screen, when the bottle falls from the chuck the weight of the squeegee must be borne directly by the screen and in this event the V screen becomes distorted and sometimes torn, while at the same time the enamel composition invariably is forced through the screen and such of it as does not fall to the undercarriage o! the machine or to the floor adheres to the underneath side of the screen so that the next succeed-- ing article placed in the chuck becomes smeared with the composition whenthe screen is brought into juxtaposition therewith.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a stenciling apparatus of the type set forth above in. which the squeegee is normally supported in an elevated position out of contact with the screen, a vacuum cylinder being connected in series with the vacuum chuck in such a mannerthat the exclusion of atmospheric pressure to the vacuum line caused by placing a bottle on the chuck will operate to apply a vacuum to the cylinder and lower the squeegee into decoratingrelation to the screen, while conversely, the admission of atmospheric pressure to the vacuum line by the removal, or falling, of the bottle will operate to relieve the vacuum in the cylinder and permit the squeegee to be elevated from the screen.

Other objects of the invention not at this time particularly enumerated will become apparent hereinafter. g

Figfil is a front elevational view cl 9. stenciling apparatus manufactured in accordance with the 55- prlnciples of the present invention;

(01. 101-124) The present invention relates to improvements Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatusg and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 with certain parts '6 being shown in full elevation.

The invention has been illustrated in connection with a more or less conventional type of stenciling apparatus including a rotary chuck designed to support a bottle or similar container :10 in a recumbent position beneath a screen through which the vitreous enamel composition or colorlng material is forced and applied to the bottle during rotation of the latter and horizontal movement of the screen. The screen and its sup- 5 porting frame are reciprocated horizontally relative to the bottle or other container by an air operated piston motor. Operation of both the piston motor and bottle holding chuck is controlled by a single manually operated device as 20 for example a foot treadle. An example of this general type or stenciling apparatus is disclosed in the United States patent to David Denelsbeck, No. 2,113,576, issued April 12, 1938, for Apparatus 'for marking articles, and reference may be had 25 thereto for disclosure of certain instrumentalitles not fully disclosed herein,

Specifically the present apparatus includes wheeled base I carrying a platform I I, or table,

the latter supporting frames I! designed to carry 80" the bottle chuck I3 and parts directly associated therewith as will be apparent presently. The frames 12 are substantially inverted U-shape in side elevation (Fig. 1) and include a pair of ver-. tical slideways It at their inner ends. said slide- 88 ways being spaced apart in the direction of the length of the platform II and adapted to accommodate a slide l5 upon which the bottle chuck I3 is mounted. An adjusting screw l6, and hand a wheel I! at the lower end thereof, provide means 40 whereby the elevation of the chuck may be varied to compensatefor variations in the diameter of bottles or other such articles being decorated.

I The chuck l3 includes a holder 2.0 (Fig 4) which is provided with a resilient sealing pad 2| or face plate adapted to receive thereagainst the base of a bottle B or other article to be'decorated.

The holder 20 is threadedly received on the forward end of a hollow shaft 22 which is supported in bearings 28 at the upper end oi the slide l5. The passageway 24 in the shattfl communicates at the forward end thereof with an opening-25 provided centrally through the holder 20 andpad 2|, and also communicates near the middle 01' the shaft with an internal annular groove 26 formed in a stationary sleeve 21 which surrounds a portion of the shaft between the bearings. A supply pipe 28 connects the annular groove 2Q with ayvacuum tank 29 (Fig, 1) by way of a tached to a pair of horizontal arms and is disposed immediately above the position occupied by the bottle B which is to be decorated, said frame in this instance including a pair of longitudinal side bars 33 connected by end members 31. The arms 35 which directly support the screen ll extend from one side of a slide ll which is mounted for horizontal movement in the direction of length of the platform II, in horizontal slideways 3!, the latter provided at the upper side of the frames l2. Stops 38' near the opposite ends of the slideways limit .the extent of reciprocating movement of the slide 38.

In order -to force coloringmaterial through the screen S, a squeegee S or wiper depends from an arm I (Fig. 4) which is suspended from a guide 4| carried by the lower end of a piston rod 42. The piston rod 42' is connected to a piston 43' mounted in a cylinder 44 which is carried in a frame 45 at the outer end of a horizontal arm I. The arm 4 is secured to a horimntal bifurcated arm 46' provided on a vertical support 41 which in turn is secured for vertical adjustment to one of the frames II. The squeegee S extends transversely of the screen 8 and in order to prevent turning movement of the former about the axis of the piston rod 42, the guide II is disposed between a pair of horizontaily extending bifurcations provided at the lower end of a bracket 40 secured to the frame II.

The squeegee S is normally maintained elevated from the stencil screen by means of a coil spring 50 which is disposed in the cylinder 44 and surrounds the piston rod 42. The cylinder 44 is connected at a point below the piston 43 with the annular groove 26 provided in the stationary sleeve 21 by means of a flexible conduit l|. Thus it will be seen that the cylinder 44 and vacuum chuck II are connected in series in such a. manner that it is essential to the application.

sealed,- for example, by placing a bottle upon the chuck. An adjusting screw ll limits the upward travel of the piston 43 in the cylinder 44 and consequently determines the height to which the squeegee is lifted from the screen. An adjustable. nipple II is threaded in the base of the cylinder N for the purpose of varying the tension of the coil spring seas to vary the pressure exerted by the squeegee on the stencil Reciprocation of the screen frame and oscillation of the bottle B about its longitudinal axis are synchronized by providing driving connections between the slide ll and the hollow shaft 22. Toward this end, a cord 52 (Fig. 3) is wrapped about a pulley 53 which is. mounted on the shaft 22 and has its opposite ends sultably secured to brackets 5| or arms which are carried by the slide 38. Thus, it is apparent that reciprocation of the slide 38 operates through the cord 52 to oscillate the pulley 53. Corresponding oscillatory movement is thereby imparted to the chuck I3 and bottle B supported therein.

Reciprocation of the slide 38 is obtained by means of a fluid operated piston motor which is mounted upon the platform H and secured thereto by means of holders Si or clamps. The piston rod 62 is connected by means of an arm 63 to the slide 38.

Air under pressure is supplied to the opposite ends of the motor cylinder 80 by means of a ratchet-actuated control valve 65 which is connected to the foot treadle 3| by means of a rod 66 and which operates to alternately direct the air from a supply pipe 61 leading from a source 68 to the opposite sides of the cylinder 80. The ratchet-actuated control valve and its associated instrumentalities, together with the system of air pressure piping by means of which the piston motor ill is actuated forms no part of the present invention and no claim is made herein to any novelty connected therewith. Such a control mechanism is shown and described in the above mentioned patent to Denelsbeck and reference may be had thereto for a full disclosure of this control mechanism and for its operation.

In the operation of the apparatus, prior to the placing of a bottle B on the chuck II the coil spring maintains the squeegee S elevated and out of contact with the stencil screen S. The operator applies a bottle to the chuck II and simultaneously depresses the treadle 3| thus actuating the control valve 30 and admitting vacuum to the groove 26 in the stationary sleeve 21. The opening 25 in the chuck ll being closed by the presence of a bottle on the chuck, vacuum is applied to the cylinder 44 and the squeegee S is lowered into decorating contact with the screen. Automatically, and with no operation on the part of the operator other than the initial depressing of the treadle II, the ratchetactuated controlvalve 65 is set into operation in the manner disclosed in the above mentioned patent to Denelsbeck and, owing to the driving connection between the screen frame and the pulley 53 through the cord 52, the chuck is oscillated in synchronism with the reciprocating movement 0 the screen frame. The squeegee functions is customary to force the coloring material through the screen at the previous portions thereof whereby material is applied to the bottle. Upon completion of one decorating operation, another bottle is placed in the chuck and the operation of the screen, chuck and squeegee is repeated with the screen moving in the oppo-,- site direction.

Should for any reason whatsoever, as for example the improper positioning of a bottle on the chuck it or the positioning of a defective bottle thereon, a bottle fall from the chuck prior to commencement of the decorating stroke of the screen but after the operator has depressed the treadle 3|, the screen will perform its stroke in the usual manner but the squeegee. S will not be lowered into contact therewith and no harm will .result. Likewise, should the bottle fall after the decorating operation has commenced thereon, the vacuum existing in the cylinder 44 will immediately be relieved by the uncovering of the opening 25 and the spring II will operate to elevate the squeegee before it has had time to damage the moving screen. r,

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: T

1. A stenciling apparatus comprising a horizontally reciprocable stencil screen, a chuck adapted to support a cylindrical body beneath the screen in tangential rolling line contact therewith, a squeegee for the screen positioned above the same and normally out of contact therewith,

' said squeegee being movable into decorating contact with the screen, vacuum operated means for moving the squeegee into such contact, and means for reciprocating the screen.

2. A stenciling apparatus comprising a horizontally reciprocable stencil screen, a chuck adapted to support a cylindrical body beneath the screen in tangential rolling line contact therewith, a squeegee for the screen positioned above the same and normally out of contact therewith, said squeegee being movable into decorating contact with the screen, a vacuum cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, means connecting the piston and squeegee, and means for applying a-vacuum to the cylinder to actuate the piston therein and move the squeegee into decorating contact with the screen.

3. A stenciling apparatus comprising a horicontact therewith, said squeegee being movable into decorating contact with the screen, means operable upon the application of vacuum thereto for moving the squeegee into such contact, a vacuum control valve, and means connecting said chuck and squeegee moving means in series to the control valve.

4. A stenciling apparatus comprising a horizontally reciprocable stencil screen, a vacuum chuck adapted to support a cylindrical body beneath the screen in tangential rolling line contact therewith, a squeegee for the screen positioned-above the same, said squeegee being movable toward and away from the screen into and out, of decorating engagement therewith, a vacuum cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, means connecting the piston to the squeegee, means normally urging the piston in one direction in the cylinder-to maintain the squeegee out of engagement with the screen, a vacuum control valve, and means connecting said chuck and cylinder in series to the control valve.

5. In a decorating apparatus of the character described, a stencil screen, a chuck adapted to support a cylindrical body beneath the screen in tangential rolling line contact therewith, a squeegee for the screen positioned above the same, said squeegee being movable toward and away from the screen into and out of decorating contact therewith, spring means normally urging said squeegee out of contact with the screen, means for moving the squeegee into decorating contact with the screen and for maintaining the same in such contact against the action of said spring means, and means operable in the absence of a body on the chuck for rendering said last mentioned means inoperative.

.HARRY LEE 

